Auction marks 250th for Stoltzfus Homestead
1948 tractor that went cross country to be displayed
A customized 1948 John Deere Model A tractor that crisscrossed America raising funds for wounded veterans will be on display at the annual Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead benefit auction in Berks County, organizers said.
The auction is scheduled for May 1 at 9 a.m. on the site of the homestead, 1700 Tulpehocken Road in Wyomissing. A quilt sale starts at 11 a.m.
C. Ivan Stoltzfus, a retired farmer, made three trips from 2016 to 2019 on the tractor, raising about $260,000 for Operation Second Chance, a Marylandbased organization that assists wounded veterans.
Toting a camper and traveling at 15 mph, Stoltzfus drove the vintage tractor about 20,000 miles over back roads from Maryland to Montana in his one-man crusade to help veterans.
Elam Stoltzfus, caretaker of the homestead and a 10th generation descendant of Nicholas Stoltzfus, said the proceeds of the auction will help maintain and preserve the homestead.
Because the site receives no state or federal funds, the homestead relies on the auction for a large portion of its budget.
The auction was canceled last year due to restrictions imposed against the COVID pandemic.
This year’s auction comes as the homestead is celebrating its 250th anniversary. Homestead officials have applied to have the site listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
German immigrants Nicholas Stoltzfus and his son, Christian, purchased the tract along the Tulpehocken Creek in 1771, according to “From Rottleben to Lancaster: The Stoltzfus Family Heritage” by Nic Stoltzfus, Elam’s son, who is expected to attend the auction.
Christian eventually moved to Lancaster County, where the Stoltzfus family name became one of the most recognizable in the Amish community.
Of an estimated 40,000 Old Order Amish in Lancaster County, about 25 percent carry the Stoltzfus surname, Elam Stoltzfus said. Of those, about 70 percent are descendants of Nicholas Stoltzfus.
Amish historians Paul Kurtz, Ben Reihl and “Pud” Sam Stoltzfus are also expected to attend the auction. Elam Stoltzfus said nicknames are important in the Amish community because of the similarity of names in families.
For the first time, Elam Stoltzfus said, the Berks History Center will have a stand at the auction.
“We’re reaching out to establish relationships with other historical organizations in Berks County,” said Elam Stoltzfus, who was appointed caretaker last year.
Stoltzfus, a retired filmmaker who grew up in Elverson, and his wife, Esther, live onsite in an apartment near the homestead.
A collection of vintage magazines, out-of-print books and old newspapers are among the items to be auctioned.
Masthof Bookstore and Press of Morgantown will be exhibiting a collection of books on Amish culture
Because the site receives no state or federal funds, the homestead relies on the auction for a large portion of its budget.
and other subjects.
The Levy family from Fort Bumper Homestead & Bio-Farm, a living history community near Gettysburg, will demonstrate Colonial style cooking in the homestead fireplace.
Tours of the recently restored homestead are available. A replica of a Sweitzerstyle barn, native to Switzerland,
has been constructed on the site.
The homestead is on Tulpehocken Road, near Penn State Berks and Gring’s Mill Recreation Area.
Information is available at nicholasstoltzfus. com or by email at nicholasstoltzfushomestead@ gmail.com.